The 72nd edition of your book has arrived. How has the feedback been thus far? Tell us, kindly.
The feedback I have gotten has been excellent and positive. The majority of them stated that once they started reading the book, they didn't put it down, which made me feel wonderful. Some of the criticism has also been quite helpful to me in understanding the perspectives of my audience. Some of them inquired as to how much of this story was based on reality, so I assured them that it was entirely based on personal experience and truth.
What was it like for you to discuss the real Western culture in your book?
There are positive and negative aspects to every culture, nationality, and nation. Personally, I haven't come across a place that is either positive or exclusively negative. Therefore, all that I experienced and learned is included in my book. I made an effort to stay out of the way and preserve the truth of what happened. Naturally, as this is my story, it was told from my point of view, but I made an effort to be truthful about what I see and hear.
It appears from the book's points that you assume that Westerners are not very familiar with Islam. Do you mean that?
The main values of Islam are disappearing in the West. The majority of them rely on the media's portrayal of Islam in that country, which, in my opinion, was drastically different from what I observed in Iran, and their recognition was therefore wrong. Furthermore, they observed Muslims from immigrant groups that identify as Muslims but do not practice Islam, and these are just a few of the factors that make their knowledge untrustworthy.
How did readers in Europe respond to the book?
When Iranians residing in France met me, they frequently mentioned how they had similar experiences and how much their people confused our culture and nationality with other countries. We had a lot of common experiences.
Do you have any plans for the second book?
Although the second book is finished, numerous issues remain unresolved. One of these examples is that my audience now has a mental image of the places, characters, and events to which they are connected. In the second book, when I returned to France, I stayed in the same dormitory for six months before leaving and moving into an apartment. Because of the changes in characters and locations, this may now be confusing to them. It's similar to extending the seasons of a series, except with the series, changes can be made because it's not a true story, whereas I'm presenting one.
Source:Tehran Times